By KATH GANNAWAY
UPPER Yarra residents could lose up to three tip days as part of a deal that would allow Yarra Ranges Council to close Healesville tip.
Residents have until 1 May to let Yarra Ranges Council know their views on the proposal which was voted on at the 25 March council meeting.
The council is citing low patronage and future viability as the reason behind the move.
However, according to the Environment Department report to the council, Knox Transfer Station, which runs the Coldstream and Wesburn tips on a lease-basis from the council, is calling for a reduction in the Wesburn opening days as part of allowing the council to opt out of its 10-year contract in relation to the Healesville tip.
It’s a trade-off that would see Healesville tip close permanently and potentially save Yarra Ranges Council $900,000 over the remaining seven years of the contract – and even more into the future.
The transfer station already has reduced operating days.
It opens five days a week in winter and the full week during summer resulting in 6619 visits.
There are no figures in the report that state what savings would be achieved by the Wesburn cuts, and according to a council spokesperson there are no figures available that would show whether Upper Yarra, or Healesville, residents are now using the Coldstream facility in preference to their local facilities or why.
O’Shannassy Ward councillor Jim Child told the Mail there was no question that Wesburn needed a transfer station but that people in Upper Yarra, the largest ward in the shire, were not using it.
He said in relation to the Healesville connection, an ultimate saving of $900,000 across the council’s waste management contract was not insignificant.
“If we get that ultimate result of $900,000 savings and included in that package is a winding back to four days for Wesburn, and we’re clearly seeing that Wesburn is not getting the use over its current opening times, why not enter into a re-contract agreement that achieves good savings across the board,” he said.
Cr Child said it was wrong to imply from the reduction in days that it would mean closure of Wesburn in the future.
“We seem focused on this hypothetical that one day it will be shut. It won’t,” he said.
“I would fight to Hell and high-water to keep it open because of our geographic position within the municipality, with the distance to other facilities, and the size of the ward which stretches out to St Clair,” he said.
He said one of the reasons for the diminishing use of the Wesburn facility could be put down to better recycling and use of the council’s hard-garbage collection.
Visit Yarra Ranges Council website yarraranges.vic.gov. au for a question and answer page on the proposal, and for details on how to make a submission.
